Rotor-end guard for pulp beaters and the like



April 16, 1929.

J. B. BUEHLER ROTOR END GUARD FOR PULP BEATERS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 163113928 Patented Apr. 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BRO\VNELL BUEHLER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO CON- TAINER CORPORATION OF AMERICA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION F DELAWARE.

ROTOR-ENDGUARD FOR PULSE BEATERS AND THE LIKE.

Application ined February i6, 192e. serial No. 254,708.

My invention is designed to provide improved means for excludingl deleterious substances from between the surfaces of relaj tively moving adjacentmembers and particularly to exclude solids from between the end yof a rotor and the wall of a fluid container in which it rotates or oscillates. My improvements are particularly applicable to, and designed for use in connection with, the rolls of pulp beaters or paper machinery which revolve in a pulpy mass containing ragsstrings, slivers, or other solids which commonly twine around the rotor shaft or jam between the rotor eiidsand adjacent raceway walls with resulting friction, wear, jamming and breakage, necessitating the stoppageof the machine and manual removal of accumulated obstructing material from around the shaft or between the relatively movable surfaces. My invention provides improved means for eliminating or minimizing such clogging of pulp beaters or other machines having rotors revolving in a mixture of liquid and solids by covering the gap between a rotor and the adjacent container or raceway wall by a gasket,

preferably made of heavy rope held annularly expanded by a ring fixed to the rotor end or to the. container wall, and by admitting to the chamber formed by the rotor end, adjacent wall and gasket a liquid under suliicient pressure to cause a current to flow outwardly through or around the gasket, which is preferably slightly liquid permeable. and has an end .so mounted as to permit slight expansion and unseating ofthe gasket to facilitate the outward liow of liquid and to prevent the snubbing of the rotor by the rope. By my improvements the tendency of the pulp solids to accumulate around the rotor shaft and between the rotor ends and adjacent walls is edectually checked and free rotation of the rotor is permitted.

The characteristic features and advantages of my improvements will more fully appear from the following description and they accompanying drawings illustrating the application thereof to a breaker roll of a paper pulp beater.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a .somewhat dia- 00 grammatic top plan view of a usual type of pulp beater having my improvements applied thereto, the spacing between the rotor ends and container walls and the size of the gaskets being somewhat exaggerated for greater clearness of illustration; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating my improvements and taken on the line 2 2 of Eig. 3; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The drawings illustrate a usual type of pulp beater comprising a casing l forming a raceway or container having side walls 2 provided with suitable journal boXes for the recept-ion of a shaft 3 of a roll 4 which may be provided with suitable peripheral beaters. The shaft 3 and roll 4 are connected together by a spline 5 and are rotated through pulleys 23 by suitable driving mechanism not shown.

In accordance with my improvements, a segmental annular ring 6 having a projecting nose or bead 7 is fixed to the peripheral meinber 8 secured to the closed web or spider 9 at each end of the roll, which is spaced slightly from the adjacent wall 2. The space between the point of each nose 7 and t-he adjacentwall is closed by a gasket l0 having one end anchored by a clevis ll in a box l2 on the outer Side of t-he wall 2. T he rope gasket l() is annularly expanded by and completely encircles the bead 7 and its free end passes through the box l2 and out through an aperture in the wall thereof and over a roller i3 en the outside of the wall. A-w-eight 14 suspended from the free end of the rope l0 forms a tension member normally drawing the gasket against the seat formed by the bead 7 but permits the unseating of the gasket should the fricticii thereon of the rotating bead tend to cause snubbing. The rope gasket'is also slightly uiiseated by the outward flow of water introduced from a suit-able source of supply through the inlet l5 to the chamber formed by the side wall 2, roll end 9, ring 6 and gasket 10.

It will be understood that in operation water under pressure is admitted through the inlet l5 and by its outward flow toward the periphery of the roll tends to carry away from the space between the roll end and adjacent wall pulp constituents that would otherwise tend to accumulate between such parts, and the ingress of such pulp constituents between the roll end and wall is positively prohibited by the gasket l0 which imposes no substantial frictional restraint upon the roll and yields by lifting the weight 14 and thereby is preferable that the gasket completely encircle the end or" .the rotor or movable member, this 1s not essential so long as the gap between the submerged portion of the movable member and the adjacent wall is coveredv by the gasket.

.Iaving described my invention, I claim l. In apparat-us V.ot the character described,

V the .combination with a fluid container having a rotor revoluble therein with an ,end adjacent to a wall ot said container, of a gasket closing the gap between the submerged portion or' the end oft ysaid rotor .and said wall.

2. In apparat-us :of .the character described, the combination with a Huid container having a rotor revoluble therein with an .end adjacent to a wall of said container, of means yfor covering the Otap between the submerged porvtion of the end .of said rotor and said wall and means vfor applying lluid pressure outwardly against said means first named.

3. In apparatus v,ot the character described, the combination with a fluid container having a rotor revoluble therein with an end member vadjacent .to ,a wall member of said container, of a ring mounted on one of said members, a gasket on said ring, and means for drawing said gasket against said ring.

Ll. In apparatus of the character described, the combinatipn with a Huid container having a rotor revoluble therein with an end member adjacent to a wall member of said container, of a ring mounted upon one .of said members, a gasket on said ring, and means for supplying fluid under pressure between the end yol" said rotor and thev wall of said raceway.

5, In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a fluid container having a rotor revolnble therein with an end member adjacent to a wall -mem'ber ot a raceway, of means for lsupplying' fluid pressure between said members vto cause flow outwardly toward the periphery of said rotor.

6. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a fr evoluble rotor Vhaving an end adjacent to a wall of a fluid centaine ot a gasket for closing the gap between the end of said rotor and wall, a device for holding said gasket annularly expanded, means :tor contracting said gasket against said device, and means for supplying fluid pressure between said rotor end and wall within the gasket. Y

7. In apparatus ot the character described, the combination with a revolublerotor having an end adjacent to a wall of a fluid container, of a gasket between the vend of said rotor and said wall, one `end or said gasket being yieldingly supported so as to prevent snubbing ot said rotor by said gasket.

8. In apparatus of the character des ribedy the combination with a. revolnble rotor having an end adjacent to a wall ot a fluid container, of a gasket closing the gap l'etween the end ot said rotor and wall, means Ytor emchoring one end of said gasket, means for holding said .Gasket annular-ly expanded, ano means on *he rother Yend of said gasket for yieloingly drawing it into contact withsaid means last named.

9. In apparatus otthc'charactcr described, the combination with a revoluble rotor ha 'n a closed end and a container having-a wall adjacent said closed rotor end, of a segmental ring iixed to said rotor end and provided with a projectingbead,'a rope gasket having lan end connected with said wall and surrounding said bead'to closethe gap between it and said wall, a tension member connected with the tree end of said gasket, and means for supplying iiuid to the space between said wall and rotor end within the periphery ot' sait gasket. Y

l0. .In apparatus of the character described, the combination of relatifeiy moable adjacent members, a gasket closing the gap between the submerged portions of said men'ibers, and means ttor admitting fluid to the space between said members withinl said gasket.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my naine this 10th day of February, 1928.

Jenn snowanniJ eUni-nina.' 

